Nationalist Party Leader Alex Borg has said his 98% confirmation vote gives him a strong mandate to continue renewing the party, while insisting the result should not be interpreted as permission to slow down or take public support for granted.
Speaking during an interview on party media, Borg thanked the party councillors who took part in the confirmation process and described the outcome as a clear endorsement of the direction adopted by the PN under his leadership.
He said the result would allow him to press ahead with new projects and internal reforms aimed at preparing a stronger and more organised party for the next general election.
Borg said the PN was gradually becoming closer to people but acknowledged that considerable work remained.
He pledged to continue leading with humility and said the party must use the coming months and years to strengthen its structures, improve its organisation and present itself as a credible alternative government.
Internally, Borg said the PN planned to modernise its party institute and introduce reforms intended to make the organisation more efficient and practical.
Externally, he said the party would maintain regular contact with communities throughout the legislature rather than approaching voters only when an election was near.
He also said he would continue pressing the shadow cabinet to be more visible and to put forward concrete solutions to problems affecting Malta and Gozo.
Turning to conditions in tourist areas, Borg said residents in Swieqi were facing persistent problems linked to vandalism and disorder, adding that similar concerns were being reported in nearby localities including Sliema and San Ġwann.
He said that these were not isolated incidents, but problems that had developed over several months and years.
While tourism remained important to Malta, he said growth could not come at the expense of residents' quality of life.
Borg blamed what he described as an excessive focus on tourist numbers rather than quality, and said local councils were often the first point of contact for frustrated residents but lacked the powers and resources needed to respond effectively.
On public transport, Borg questioned figures presented by Transport Minister Chris Bonett indicating that only one case of overcrowding had been recorded over a two-year period.
He described the figure as "surreal," saying commuters regularly encountered full buses, were unable to board and, in some cases, arrived late for work.
He said the official numbers did not reflect the reality experienced daily at bus stops and on public transport.
Borg linked the pressure on the system to Malta's population growth and an economic model dependent on foreign workers.
He said the government had failed to explain how infrastructure would be expanded to cope with the increase.
He also criticised the timeline surrounding the Malta in Motion transport plan, arguing that commuters could not be expected to endure the same difficulties for years while studies and planning continued.
Addressing recent power cuts, Borg said Malta had now faced electricity disruptions for four consecutive summers, despite repeated government assurances that investment was being made in the energy network.
He said the public was again experiencing outages across different localities, alongside other infrastructure problems such as drainage issues.
With Parliament due to adjourn for the summer recess, Borg said the PN's work would continue regardless.
He said the problems affecting residents would not disappear when Parliament closed and pledged that the Opposition would remain present in communities and continue campaigning for major reforms throughout the summer.
He said the party would keep listening to residents and developing concrete proposals ahead of Malta's general election.